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Posted: November 27, 2007 5:53 PM
Clinton Launches Global AIDS Initiative, Attacks Obama Fundraising
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Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., Tuesday announced her plan to combat HIV and AIDS in the United States and throughout the world. Her proposal targets high-risk groups such as African-American and Latino communities, women and gay men. Sen. Clinton expanded via a campaign release: “In many ways, our fight against HIV/AIDS is at a crossroads. While we have made progress in education and developing medicine that keeps those living with HIV/AIDS healthier, we need to be vigilant in ensuring that people are getting the information and care they need.”

Clinton’s two closest rivals for the Democratic nomination, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and former North Carolina Senator John Edwards both unveiled similar plans earlier this year.

The Clinton team responded quickly after a Tuesday Washington Post story
7112501454.html about Obama’s “Hopefund” political action committee.

Reporter John Solomon wrote, “in recent months, Obama has handed out more than $180,000 from the nearly dormant PAC to local Democratic groups and candidates in the key early-voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, campaign reports show. Some of the recipients of Hopefund’s largess are state and local politicians who have recently endorsed Obama’s presidential bid. Obama’s PAC reported giving a $1,000 contribution, for instance, to New Hampshire State Sen. Jacalyn Cilley on July 25, six days before she announced she was endorsing Obama for president.” Hours later, a Clinton campaign memo was released.

It said: “This morning, we learned that Senator Obama has been using his leadership PAC to give political contributions to officials in the early primary states. In fact, 68 percent of contributions from his PAC have gone to those in states that are scheduled to hold nominating contests on February 5th or earlier.

It is our understanding that a candidate’s campaign is barred from using the candidate’s leadership PAC to benefit his or her campaign which is why we shut down HillPAC when Senator Clinton announced her run for the White House.”

And it didn’t let up there. Later the same day, the campaign put out a follow-up memo from Deputy Communications Director Phil Singer: “The Obama campaign’s failure to deny that it committed campaign finance violations speaks volumes. Instead of launching irrelevant attacks, Senator Obama should answer a simple question: Did Obama campaign officials direct the Hopefund to make contributions to officials and entities in states holding nominating contests? If the answer is no, they should just be direct and say so.”

Outside of defending herself from Democratic rivals, Senator Clinton picked up a high-profile endorsement from entertainment legend Barbra Streisand on Tuesday.

“I’m honored to have Barbra’s support,” said Clinton, according to Fox News. “Barbra has used her immense talent to be an advocate for truth, justice, and fairness and I deeply appreciate her confidence in my candidacy as we work together to change the direction of our nation.”